My First Tiny House
April 28, 2009 · Print This Article
This is an excerpt from my new book.
This is a six part post. Part 1 Part 2 … more to come.
Tumbleweed
It was not until after I thought I had already finished designing my little dream home that I became familiar with the term “minimum-size standards.” Up to this point, I had somehow managed to remain blissfully unaware of these codes; but, as the time for construction neared, my denial gave way to a grim reality. My proposed home was about one-third the size required to meet local limits. A drastic change of plans seemed unavoidable, but tripling the scale of a structure that had been designed to meet my specific needs so concisely seemed something like altering a tailored suit to fit like a potato sack.
I resolved to side-step the well-intentioned codes by putting my house on wheels. The construction of travel trailers is, after all, governed by maximum–not minimum–size restrictions, and since Tumbleweed already fit within these, I had only to add some space for wheel wells to make the plan work.
At about eight by twelve feet plus a porch, loft, and four wheels, the resulting house looked a bit like American Gothic meets the Winnebago Vectra. A steep, metal roof was supported by cedar-clad walls and turned cedar porch posts. The front gable was pierced by a lancet window. In the tradition of the formal plan, everything was symmetrical, with the door at exterior, front center. Inside, Knotty Pine walls and Douglas Fir flooring were contrasted by stainless steel hardware. There was a 7’ x 7’ great room, a closet-sized kitchen, an even smaller bathroom, and a 3’ 9”-tall bedroom upstairs. A cast-iron heater presided like an altar at the center of the space downstairs. In fact, the whole house looked a bit like a tiny cathedral on two, 3,500-pound axles.
The key to designing my happy home really was designing a happy life, and the key to that lay not so much in deciding what I needed as in recognizing all the things I can do without. What was left over read like a list I might make before packing my bags for a long trip. While I cannot remember the last time I packed my TV, stereo, or even the proverbial kitchen sink for any journey, I wanted this to be a list of items necessary not only to my survival, but to my contented survival. I am sure any hard-core minimalist would be as appalled by the length of my inventory as any materialist would be by its brevity. But then, I imagine nobody’s list of necessities is ever going to quite match anybody else’s. Each will read like some kind of self-portrait. I like to think that a house built true to the needs of its inhabitant will do the same.
The Small House Book
by Jay Shafer
Price: $36.95 
Hi Jay,
I have your book and LOVE the pictures of the Tumbleweed! SO much storage space. Why don’t you sell the plans to that one, too?
Quick question: How large was that porch, and did the loft extend over it?
Thanks!
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Jay Shafer reply on May 17th, 2009 12:54 pm:
1) I would still sell them to anyone who was interested.
2) About 30″ x 90″. The loft did not extend over it.
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Tumbleweed Houses are featured in the recent issue of FLYP Magazine! check it out for an interview with the creator!
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anquan battle reply on May 21st, 2009 8:37 am:
http://www.flypmedia.com/issues/29/#3/1
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Jay Shafer reply on May 22nd, 2009 10:53 am:
Wow! Nice piece. Thanks for letting us know that it’s out, Anquan. I’ll alert Greg and Kent who were featured in the piece too.
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Any chance of coming to South Dakota? Spearfish, Rapid City area?
Love the little house!!
Blessings on your journey!
Sandrea
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Jay Shafer reply on May 29th, 2009 6:43 am:
Sorry, Sandrea. Omaha’s as close as I get.
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Hi! Any chance of a Kindle version of your book? Kindles seem perfect for tiny houses.
Good luck on your trip.
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Jay Shafer reply on May 29th, 2009 7:17 am:
Good idea. I’ll run it by Steve.
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Just wanted to drop a line to say (a) thank you and (b) [insert squeal of delight here!]. I grew up in a 700-square-foot house rebuilt as a “historical reproduction” by its previous owners, on 40 acres of Michigan farmland-gone-forest. I love that house to this day and go back to visit the parents whenever I can, even though my former bedroom (six feet by nine feet) is now my mother’s office/sewing room and I have to sleep on the floor under her desk, or pack a tent.
I am planning to buy or build a house in the next three to five years, and I’d been despairing over ever finding something like where I’d grown up. A friend sent me a link to the Loring, and I’ve fallen in love with several of your designs – including that one. Thank you for making my dream house doable!
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Just wondering if Jay will be releasing any new small and/or
tiny house plans in 2009?? I was hoping for a few new plans
for houses on wheels.
Respectfully,
Kelly M. DiPari
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Jay Shafer reply on June 7th, 2009 5:46 am:
I think so. It’s hard to stop.
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Danielle reply on July 9th, 2009 9:36 pm:
Hi Jay, I’ve seemed to have found my niche now that I’ve discovered simple/small living. I’m beginning to downsize and dreaming big dreams of my little abode. I spend a lot of time in the kitchen and am interested in a “great room” concept that combines the living space with a kitchen. Not sure if you have a plan like this (didn’t see one in the plans on your website) so I’m just making a plug for any future plans you may develop. Thanks.
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I found your website as I am trying to figure out what to do with me tiny house. I recently aquired a 9×14 cabin tucked in the woods with loft.
I was curious about utilities as there is no running water, electricity, heat/propane and a 400ft hill between the cabin and driveway.
I was interested in your set up of one solar panal to power several lights/tv/radio… when I look for information on websites I get overwhelmed pretty quick. And the set ups are for big places that use lots of energy so it seems.
Does your book go into more detail about how you are set up for utilities, any info would help.
Sincerly,
Sarah
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Jay Shafer reply on September 22nd, 2009 9:56 am:
There’s not too much in the book about the details of setting up a system, but try Backwoods Solar’s description. That’s where I learned.
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